Until my Heart Stops Beating
by Historybuff1536
Summary: I’d been dreading this exact moment in time for the last forty or so years. I always knew this day would come, but that known fact didn’t make it any easier. -Bella's POV Post BD


This little Oneshot, has been mulling around in my head for almost a year. It finally got the best of me, so I sat down and wrote it out. It made me teary by the way.

-Misty

* * *

It was here.

I'd been dreading this exact moment in time for the last forty or so years. I always knew this day would come, but that known fact didn't make it any easier.

I sat in a small cramped waiting room; sitting in one of those pink, plastic covered chairs that you find in most Retirement homes. I stared at the doctor as he explained that my Dad's health was declining at an accelerated rate, and he didn't expect him to make it through the night. Although I had already _known _this; Alice had been keeping an eye out for me.

I breathed in deeply. "Thank you."

The doctor stood, and pushed his chair under the table. "If you need anything at all, Mrs. Cullen, don't hesitate to ask."

"Are you ready?" Edward put his hand on my shoulder, as the Doctor left the room.

"I'll have to be, won't I?" And I stood, and looked at the faces of my vampire family. All of them were here.

My daughter walked forward, and put her arms around me; a sob escaped from her throat, and Edward wrapped his arms around the both of us. We stayed that way for three full minutes, before I let go. I took both of my thumbs, and wiped the wetness from under Reneseme 's eyes. I wished I could have found the right words to give her solace; but even with my Vampire mind, I couldn't find any. Instead, I took her hand, and walked out the cramped waiting room, towards my father's room.

I took another breath and pushed the door open; I could already hear the sound of his heart trying to give up the fight.

Everyone followed us in and we crowded around his small hospital bed; I sat down in the chair beside his bed and watched him as he slept. He looked so frail, so helpless. It hurt so bad to see him like this.

I reached across his shoulder, and placed my cold hand on his cheek; his eyes flickered open at my touch.

"Hey…kiddo." His voice was ragged, and I knew it took a lot out of him to say those two words.

"Hey Dad." I tried to smile at him.

His eyes surveyed the room. "It's nice to see…all….of…you."

Everyone smiled at him. "There's nowhere else we'd rather be." Esme told him.

He looked to the right of me. "There's no need to cry Nessie—" He took a drawled out breath. "—It's just this old man's time to go."

Reneseme went forward and_ carefully _placed her arms around him. "Love you." And she kissed him on the cheek as she pulled back.

Dad looked at Edward. "Take care…of…them for me."

Edward reached down and took his hand. "Forever." And he gave it a gentle squeeze before he let go.

Dad looked back at me; his heart was beating at an even slower rate. "You still don't look a…day past…eighteen."

I smiled back at him. "I have a wonderful skincare plan." I tried to make him smile, and it worked.

"You'll always be beautiful….and I'll love you even after…this heart of mine stops beating."

A sob escaped my throat. "Mine too Dad." No three words have ever been truer.

"Five minutes." Alice whispered low.

"Your hand…feels nice." Dad turned his head into the palm of my hand; his face felt red hot. "Can..I just ask one…last…thing?"

"Anything." I told him.

He lifted his hand, and stroked the side of my face; I took my hand and held its weight for him. I knew it was taking everything he had to hold it up. "What caused…this?"

I looked straight at Edward, and after a quarter of a second he nodded his head.

"I'm afraid you'll think its bad Dad."

Something that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle came from his chest. "How could it…be bad? Look at the…wonderful…family you have."

I looked straight at him. "The best." I took his hand and placed it between both of my own. I took a deep breath. "I'm a…Vampire Dad."

He stayed quiet for five whole seconds. "Well it…can't…be…bad…can…it? If…you're…one."

His heart was fighting hard now; trying to keep up with a job it just couldn't do.

I smiled at him. "I love you Dad."

His eyes strayed to the whole of the room once more. "Thank…you." He told them, but his words were slurred.

My whole body started rocking from the inside out, as I felt his pulse getting weaker, and weaker. His eyes came to me once more before, and I knew for the last time, they closed. He took one last, short breath, and then his chest ceased to move. The alarm on his bedside began to wail, and Carlisle walked around to turn it off.

I realized that Edward was holding Reneseme up; her head was buried in his chest, her cries of anguish were muffled by his jacket.

I looked back to my Father's peaceful form and wished, if only for a second, that I could cry too.


End file.
